Float alarm



Oct. 20, 1925.

' .C. J. DAVlDSON FLOAT ALARM Filed July 14 1922 MMzW Q INVENTOR.

J W ATTORNEYS. 7

Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES .PATQE F'l-"CE CHARLES. J. DAVIDSON, OFMILWAUKEE, Wisconsin.

FLOAT ALARM.

To all "Lo/tom- "it may concern Be it. known that I, C'rrannns J. DAVIDSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates and resident of Milwaukee. in the county of iMi-lwaukee and State of TVisconsin, have invented new and useliul Improvements in Float Alarms, of which the following is a description, 'ret crence being had to the accompanyi 11g drawinns which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in non-collapsible float alarms, more particular l v adapted for indicating high or low water level inv steam 'or other boilers.

Float. alarms as now in gei'ierel use are provided "with floats of hollow construction which often lose their 'buoyancydue to leaks, with the result-that the alarms do not properly function anil=the boiler is seriously injured.- and there is the possibility oi" loss of life if the boiler-explodes.

It one of theobjects of the present invention toovercome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide a float alarm in which the float members are formed oi? solid metal, thus eliminatinganyquestion of leaks or collapsing of the floats.

4 further object ohthcinvention is toprovide a float alarm operated in partby'solid connt-cnweights which are submerged and operated by the relative amount oi. water displaced to actuate the signal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a float alarm whiehflmay beeasily attached to any boiler in a very simple manner.

A further object of the lllVQUtlOll is: to provide a float alarm which is of simple constructioinis strong and durablegand well adaptedfor the purpose desired.

.Vith the above andother objects in view, the invention consistsot-the improved'float valve and its parts and combinations as set forth in :the claims, and all equivalents thereof. K

In the accompanying drawing, in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 isa verticalsectiomil view of the improved float a]=arm;=and

Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view thereof taken on a larger scale on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to'the drawing,- the numeral 5 indicates the casing which is in the form of two vertically extending tubular members 6 and 7 which. are joined. together in. spaced.

relation by an upper transverse tubular member S and a. lowertransverse tu'bular member 9, as clearly shown in the drawing. The tubularmember 6 is formed with a lower opening 11 for connection with :a boiler below water levelline, and with an upper opening for con ection with the boiler above water level line or steam space. Both memhers also have openings 12 and 13 in their lower ends tor blow oil" connections, not shown.

The upper tra s erse member 8 is provided medially oi its length with afulcrum block Ll upon which are pivotally:mounted two float levers tfiand 16 having their outer end portions terminating adjacent the central portions of the tubular members ("Sand 7. T he high water float lever 15 is formed in two :parts which are spaced apart and the lever 16 is positioned therebetween and swingsindependently thereof. QMedial portions of the lovers are .formedwith upwardly and outwardly extending cam'parts L7 and 18, the outer campartsl? being formed on the lever parts 15 and extending to'the right while the inner cam part 18 is formed on the low watcr lcver 16 and cxtendsto the left, as shown in the drawing. is thus constructed, the cam edgesform a three point support for aball member 19 restingthereon, and which. is movedaupwardl when the right hand ei'id of the lever l5"Ol'-ll1 left hand "end otthe lever 16 is moved upwardly.

The ends-otthc lever 15 extending into tubular casinginen'iber 6 arc=pivotally connected to the opposite-sidesot atubular cxtension 20. oto. high water solid inc-tell float. member 2l-suspended therefrom. The oppo site ends of said .lever 15 which extend :into the tubular casing member 7 are .pivotally connected to a tubular extension 22 of a solid metal counterweight float member 23 suspended from the lower end of said extension 22. The bores'ot the tubularextension also extend downwardlythrough the respective float members.

The end of thelever 16 extending into the casing member 6 is pivotally connectedto the upper end of a rod'2d which extends loosely through the bore of the float member 21 and at its lower end is connected to a low water solid metal float member 25 suspended therefrom. The opposite. end ofsaid low water lever is connected to the upper end of a rod 26 which extends through the bore of the extension 22 and the counterweight float member 23, and at its lower end is cgnnected to a counterweight float member 2!.

The transverse member 8 is formed with an upwardly extending tubular portion 28 and the cap 28 has a spring controlled balanced valve 29 mounted therein which is provided with a downwardly extending stem 29. The lower end of the stem rests upon the ball member 19 and the valve is moved to open position thereby. A steam or other pressure signal 30 is mounted in the upper end of the cap 28 and is adapted to be sounded when the water level in the boiler to which the alarm is connected rises above or drops below a predetermined level.

The counterfloats 23 and 27 are of such size and weight with relation to the float members 21 and 25 that when the floats 23, 25 and 27 are submerged and the float 21 is above the surface of the water, the floats 23 and 2? will counterbalance the floats 21 and 25, but if the water level drops below the upper portion of the float the counterbalance will be changed to the extent of the less amount of water displaced, with the result that the float will over-balance the. float 27 and drop downwardly and move the valve 29 to open position and sound the alarm. On the other hand, if the level of the water rises to partly submerge the float 21, the amount of water displaced by said float will cause the float 23 to overbalance the float 21 and swing said float 21 upwardly and open the valve 29 to sound the signal. As the counterweight floats 23 and 27 are below the plane of the floats 21 and 25, they are submerged in a fluid at all times and their effective weight will be constant, but it is to be understood that the fluid in which the counterweights are submerged may be liquid or gaseous without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the float alarm is of very simple construction, and that as the float members thereof are formed of practically solid metal they cannot collapse or spring a leak and are therefore more durable and reliable.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A float alarm, comprising a. fluid chamber formed of two parts and having a normal liquid level, levers fulcrumed in said chamber, a substantially solid float connected to one of the levers and positioned in one of the chamber parts below the liquid level, a substantially solid float connected to the other lever and positioned above the liquid level in the same chamber, counterweight floats connected to the opposite ends of the respective levers and positioned below the liquid level in the other chamber part, and an alarm means engaging medial portions of both levers and actuated by the movement of either lever when the liquid level rises above or drops below the said level.

2. A. float alarm, comprising a float chamher having anormal liquid level, levers fulcrumed in said chamber and provided with cam portions, substantially solid floats connected to the levers at one end, one of said floats positioned below the water level and the other float positioned above the said level, substantially solid counterweight floats connected to the opposite ends of the respective. levers and positioned below the liquid level, a valve actuated by said cam portions upon the movement of either lever when the liquid level rises above or drops below the said level, and an alarm means operated by the opening of the valve.

3. A float alarm, comprising a float chamber having a normal liquid level, levers fulcrumed in said chamber and provided with cam portions. substantially solid floats connected to the levers at one end, one of said floats positioned below the water level and the other float positioned above the said level, substantially solid counterweight floats connected to the opposite ends of the respective levers and positioned below the liquid level, a ball member resting upon the cam portions and moved by the movement of either lever, a valve actuated by the movement of either lever when the liquid level rises above or drops below the said level,-

and an alarm means operated by the opening of the valve.

1-. A float alarm, comprising a pair of tubular members in communication with each other and having a normal liquid level, a pair of levers having cam portions and extending into the tubular members, ball members resting upon the cam portions, substantially solid metal floats connected to the respective levers at one end and extending into one of the tubular members, one of said floats extending below the liquid level and the other float positioned above said level, "substantially solid metal counterweight floats positioned in the other tubular member below the liquid level and connected to the respective ends of the levers extending into the said tubular member, a valve having a stem which rests upon the ball member and actuated by the movement of either lever when the liquid level rises above or drops below the said level, and an alarm means operated by the opening of the valve.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES J. DAVIDSON. 

